#Switzerland

From Switzerland to Las Vegas and back, B&T seem to have had an excellent SHOT Show with a booth flooded by visitors.

Telescoping stocks designed to fit underneath a user’s helmet visor are very popular among a number of European Law Enforcement forces, and have been for some time now. Especially prevalent are Swiss response teams in Zürich, which have been in the news lately due to the violence at a mosque earlier last week. Police forces are installing these Visor profile stocks on MP5s, Sig 551s, and interestingly MP7s as well.

Most small arms development is seen as being forward thinking, with new designs leaving the older ones in the dust. But for some, the complete opposite is the case (such as the FNC and SCAR). In this example modern day riot police in Switzerland are using chopped K31 straight pull rifles converted to fire tear gas grenades or rubber bullets against uncooperative protesters. The designation is Trnengas Werfer 73 ( Tear Gas Thrower), or TW-73 for short among the police that utilize it. It is also designated as the Mehrzweckwerfer (General Purpose Thrower) MZW 73/91.

Ranges in the United States tend to be as far away from a highway as practical, but for those in Switzerland, its perfectly acceptable to build a range that fires over a highway. The Brunnlisau range in Switzerland is a 300 meter rifle range built over a main road leading up  the Simmental.

Albrecht Moser is a former Swiss Soldier. He is a long distance runner and has competed in the Waffenlauf. The Waffenlauf is a 43K long race. So about the same as a marathon. Competitors are current or former military. The race must be ran wearing full uniform, marching boots, ruck that weighs no less than 13.6-pounds and includes either a standard Swiss Army Stgw 90 (SIG 550), Stgw 57 (SIG SG 510) or old school WWII-era K.31 bolt action rifle. Female soldiers are not required to carry a rifle but their packs must weigh 11 lbs.

This may be one of the best looking ranges out there. It is in Gimmewald, Switzerland. Bloke on the Range shows us a little bit of shooting for civilians. In Switzerland, the government has ammo allotted for its citizens to use and practice. I am not sure if it is mandatory or not. Regardless, the range’s ambiance is gorgeous. I don’t recognize the rifle. But he is shooting GP11 ammo aka 7.5x55mm Swiss.

Switzerland, a country with gun laws that would make a lot of (but far from all) Americans jealous. What a great country to get represented by this Blitz SBR!

Swiss company B&T is only a small to medium sized company, but with big ears and very short distance from demand to R&D to production and delivery. Don’t ask why Heckler & Koch springs to mind as something being the total opposite.

This is part 2 of the “Country Rifles” by Rainier Arms and Blown Deadline as shown at the IWA exhibition in Germany 2016.

Rainier Arms had a very colorful stand at the IWA exhibition in Germany.

Previously, we looked at the Breda Model 39, an Italian rifle that competed against what would become the Beretta BM-59 in a bid to be the Italian military rifle of the 1950s and ’60s. TFB friend Trevor Weston sends along more photos of three Italian rifles that are not well known today. The first two are Beretta-made licensed-produced copies of the 7.62mm  SG 510-4 rifle, the more conventional one being the first Chilean contract rifle of 13,000 made by the company for that country. The other is a Beretta-made “improvement” of the 510, called the BL-62, with a combined buttstock and pistol grip.

Here is a video about Swiss civilians and their firearm ownership. I find it interesting that the Swiss Goverment hands out practice ammo for these special range days for all armed citizens to practice with.

According to IHS Jane’s, the Swiss Armed Forces have adopted the B&T MP9-N as a personal defense weapon (PDW) for its echelon troops:

For those looking for some modern Swiss firearms, Brügger & Thomet USA firearms have now been imported and are available. Ethan of Aftermath Gun Club reports:

B&T AG (formerly Brügger & Thomet AG) of Switzerland have introduced a new sound suppressor targeted at the .380 subcompact market. The suppressor is partnered with a barrel either for a Glock 42 or a SIG P238 pistol. Designed to be smaller than other suppressors, it still offers hearing-safe sound suppression of about 28db (about the same as a pair of ear plugs). B&T has released through their YouTube channel a brief, but satisfying video of the new product: